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Washington Takes a Major Step to Control Invasive Species

Governor signs bill to create state’s first Invasive Species Council

On Monday, March 20, 2006 Governor Gregoire will take action, signing a bill the state legislature passed this session to create Washington State's first-ever Invasive Species Council.

Mar 20, 2006

A silent invasion is wiping out biodiversity, causing extinctions,
and costing billions of dollars. On Monday, March 20, 2006 Governor
Gregoire will take action, signing a bill the state legislature passed
this session to create Washington State’s first-ever Invasive Species
Council.

Joining Oregon and Idaho as states in our region with
Invasive Species Councils, Washington is stepping up to the plate to
more fully take on this growing, and often hidden, threat to our
economy and environment.

It’s a little known fact that invasive
species are responsible for the listing of nearly half of all
threatened and endangered species, consume over $100 billion a year in
the U.S. alone, are expected to be the leading cause of extinctions in
freshwater ecosystems, and are the second cause of biodiversity loss
(habitat fragmentation is the first).

By coordinating existing
state, federal, and other programs, as well as by developing a
Washington State Invasive Species Management Plan, the Washington
Invasive Species Council plans to facilitate coordinated action on
early detection of new invasive species outbreaks and to aid rapidly
respond to such situations.

Invasive species, defined by the
U.S. Executive Order for the National Invasive Species Council, are a
species that is non-native (or alien) to an ecosystem and causes harm
to the economy, the environment, or human health.

One of many examples of an invasive species wreaking havoc in our state right now are tunicates (styela clava),
or “sea squirts,” native to Japan. “The tunicates can become so
abundant that they literally smother commercially grown shellfish and
destroy habitat for native species,” notes Scott Smith with the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He continues, noting, “The
species is causing serious economic impact to the shellfish industry in
eastern Canada, New Zealand, and Europe.”

A veteran of
many invasive species battles, Smith notes that having a Council will
make a big difference with this, and other, invasions, “Responding
effectively to the introduction of invasive sea squirts will require a
coordinated response from many different federal and state agencies,
and private organizations. No one agency or organization has the
resources needed to respond to this economic and environmental threat.”

“The
Washington Invasive Species Council can bring together a coalition that
is capable of giving us a fighting chance,” Smith concludes.

*The
WA Invasive Species Coalition Steering Committee includes Audubon
Washington, Seattle Audubon, Conservation Northwest, The Washington
Native Plant Society, The Nature Conservancy, People for Puget Sound,
The Mountaineers, University of Washington-Center for Urban
Horticulture, University of Washington-SeaGrant.